Wavelengths is a periodical podcast of the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists. We feature stories, lessons, and testimonials from WUU members and friends of the wider community. WUU is a welcoming, worshipping, witnessing community dedicated to spiritual diversity and social justice.
Come listen to a WUU service! A service woven of 7 strands: the songs of John Chowning, the piano music of David Hamilton, the poetry of Kim McHugh, a From the Heart by Donna Stanford, a contemplation on the natural world, crystal singing bowls played by Liz Wiley, and a brief moment from our WUU history Welcome, Greeting, Nan Hart Worship Associate Announcements, Liz Wiley Chris Mooney, Music Director Heidi Sousa, piano David Hamilton, piano Liz Wiley, crystal singing bowls John Chowning, guitar Thank you for listening. For more information about the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, or to join us on Sunday mornings, visit www.wuu.org. Permission to reprint, podcast, and/or stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE with license #A-735438. All rights reserved.
Come listen to a WUU service! Come join us for our annual May Day celebration! We will weave the colorful ribbons round the Maypole in this favorite all-ages tradition. Wear bright garments! Dance a circle round! Drum, sing, and feel the rhythm of the earth! Bring friends! Susan Marcinkus, Worship Associate Liz Wiley, Worship Leader Austen Petersen, Director of Religious Education David & Cathy Doersch, Music Chris Mooney, Music Director Thank you for listening. For more information about the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, or to join us on Sunday mornings, visit www.wuu.org. Permission to reprint, podcast, and/or stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE with license #A-735438. All rights reserved.
Come listen to a WUU service! For this final Sunday of National Poetry Month, the Sunday following Earth Day, we will engage actively with the poetry of Joy Harjo, a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, and the 23rd Poet Laureate of the United States. Come, let the experience of Joy Harjo's creative writing open you to spaces within and beyond yourself. Nan Hart, Worship Associate Liz Wiley, Worship Leader John Keating, music The YouTube version is here Thank you for listening. For more information about the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, or to join us on Sunday mornings, visit www.wuu.org. Permission to reprint, podcast, and/or stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE with license #A-735438. All rights reserved.
Come listen to a WUU service! Spring is the rebirth of the natural world around us, of which we are an interconnected part, but it is also a time to re-emerge from our homes and busyness to reconnect with each other. Join us for a service that celebrates early Christian communion, the melting process on the way to butterfly-hood, and the spirit of play. Egg hunt and flower painting to follow. Susan Marcinkus, Worship Associate Natalie Miller Moore, Guest Worship Leader WUU Choir, directed by Chris Mooney, Music Director Heidi Sousa, piano Liz Wiley, Worship Chair The YouTube version is here Thank you for listening. For more information about the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, or to join us on Sunday mornings, visit www.wuu.org. Permission to reprint, podcast, and/or stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE with license #A-735438. All rights reserved.
Come listen to a WUU service! In this Sunday service, WUU member Anne Stevens will discuss changes in creative direction. Join us in person or online at 10 am! Anne Stevens joined WUU in 2004. After 12 years as a worship associate, she now serves as Caring Team Chair. A 1975 graduate of William & Mary, Anne earned her MS in occupational therapy in 1996. In between, she worked in the restaurant business for 20 years, during which time she studied pottery post-graduate at William & Mary. Anne retired from the WJCC school system in 2018. She is married to WUU member Clay Blanton. Anne raised two sons, Carson and Dean Leslie Fabian, Worship Associate Anne Stevens, Guest Worship Leader Liz Wiley, Worship Chair Heidi Sousa, Piano David Hamilton, Reading The YouTube version is here Thank you for listening. For more information about the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, or to join us on Sunday mornings, visit www.wuu.org. Permission to reprint, podcast, and/or stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE with license #A-735438. All rights reserved.
Come listen to a WUU service! At a time when the world seems to be coming apart, let us find healing power in reimagining together a vision of social justice that benefits all people. "For people to thrive we need a planet that thrives.” Andrew Batcher has worked as a community organizer and activist for more than 20 years, working in the peace movement, environmental movement, anti-racism, education, economic justice, and against hate. For the past 4 years he has worked in the Potomac Partnership congregations, first at UUCF, then at Cedar Lane, and joining River Road in 2024. Susan Fournier, Worship Associate Andrew Batcher, Guest Worship Leader David Wilcox, Social Justice Chair John Keating, Guitar Chris Mooney, Music Director Heidi Sousa, Piano Helen Hansen, Announcements The YouTube version is here Thank you for listening. For more information about the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, or to join us on Sunday mornings, visit www.wuu.org. Permission to reprint, podcast, and/or stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE with license #A-735438. All rights reserved.
Come listen to a WUU service! This service is led by the WUU Annual Giving Committee, whose purpose is to encourage the congregation's generosity to blossom. Asha McLaughlin, Worship Associate William & Mary Middle Eastern Music Ensemble, directed by Anne Rasmussen Annual Giving Committee Fred Gilbertson, Reading John Keating, From the Heart Camilla Buchanan, From the Heart The YouTube version is here Thank you for listening. For more information about the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, or to join us on Sunday mornings, visit www.wuu.org. Permission to reprint, podcast, and/or stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE with license #A-735438. All rights reserved.
Come listen to a WUU service! Natalie Miller Moore will be reviewing highlights of the book Active Hope by Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone. The book has an accompanying free common training for personal reflection or group discussion. The subhead of the book is: How to Face the Mess We're in Without Going Crazy... let's endeavor to find out ways to do that. The opportunity to have a discussion about it afterwards will be available as well as some suggestions for how to continue that conversation. Nan Hart, Worship Associate Natalie Miller Moore, Guest Worship Leader Chris Mooney, Music Director Heidi Sousa, piano The YouTube version is here Thank you for listening. For more information about the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, or to join us on Sunday mornings, visit www.wuu.org. Permission to reprint, podcast, and/or stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE with license #A-735438. All rights reserved.
Come listen to a WUU service! Approaching the end of one's life presents challenges for both those with deeply held faith beliefs and those who do not hold such beliefs. We all desire death with dignity, but just what does that mean? As a volunteer and advocate for the organization Compassion and Choice, Dan knows what he wants that to mean for everyone in their own way. “In the end it is not the years in your life that count, it's the life in your years.” - - Abraham Lincoln Dr. Daniel L. Cohen, MD (prefers “Dan”), is a member of the Mount Vernon Unitarian Church in Alexandria, Virginia and also a volunteer advocate with Compassion and Choice, an organization committed to advancing the principle of “medical assistance in dying” as a benevolent and empathic option for individuals who are living in the terminal phase of terminal illnesses and who wish to receive this care. Dan is a pediatrician, hematologist/oncologist and medical executive who also served for nearly 30 years in the United States Air Force and the Department of Defense where he was the Chief Medical Officer and Executive Medical Director for the Military's TRICARE health plan providing care for over 9,000,000 service members, family members, retirees and spouses; soup to nuts! When Dan hosts services he likes to use illustrative stories that portray his personal witness to cultivate the themes and messages he wishes to convey and that align with Unitarian Universalist principles. Dr. Daniel Cohen & Suzanne Cleary Cohen, Guest Worship Leaders Susan Marcinkus, Worship Associate Mike Walker, Introduction of Today's Topic & Guests Heidi Souza, Piano WUU Choir, directed by Chris Mooney, Music Director Liz Wiley, Worship Chair The YouTube version is here Thank you for listening. For more information about the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, or to join us on Sunday mornings, visit www.wuu.org. Permission to reprint, podcast, and/or stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE with license #A-735438. All rights reserved.
Come listen to a WUU service! One photo accompanying one Facebook post changed me forever. It's an ongoing journey, and a lot of work, to free ourselves of the lies that shaped and formed us for so long. Today I want to share with you one of the most important times for me in my journey, and hopefully challenge and inspire us all to live more freely, truly, courageously, and compassionately. About Rev. Max Blalock: Rev. Max Blalock serves as the Campus Minister at the Wesley, the campus ministry sponsored by the United Methodist Church. A native of Alabama, Max has been at Wesley for 12 years. His partner Becky is a native of Ohio, and they have two sons, James, 15, and Daniel, 2, and two cats, Yogi and Boo Boo. He's a graduate of the Claremont School of Theology in Claremont, California. He loves people, animals, laughter, and sarcasm, not always in that order. Rev. Max Blalock, Guest Worship Leader Susan Marcinkus, Worship Associate Barbara Chowning, Wisdom Story The YouTube version is here Thank you for listening. For more information about the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, or to join us on Sunday mornings, visit www.wuu.org. Permission to reprint, podcast, and/or stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE with license #A-735438. All rights reserved.
Come listen to a WUU service! In a world on fire, celebrating our blessings might seem like putting our heads in the sand. But we can find blessings in everything, even the "bad stuff." And when we do, our lives can become beacons of hope for everyone around us. Rev. Laura Horton-Ludwig, Minister Carolyn Greathouse, Worship Associate Austen Petersen, Director of Religious Education The YouTube version is here Thank you for listening. For more information about the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, or to join us on Sunday mornings, visit www.wuu.org. Permission to reprint, podcast, and/or stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE with license #A-735438. All rights reserved.
Come listen to a WUU service! 100 years ago, Czech Unitarian ministers Norbert and Maja Čapek created the Flower Celebration to honor the values of community and diversity. Today we celebrate this beloved annual tradition at WUU, both in person and online. In-person participants, please bring a cut flower to share, and you'll get to take another one home. Zoom participants, we have a special blessing planned for you too. We'll also welcome our newest members and thank our Board for all that they do. Rev. Laura Horton-Ludwig, Minister Susan Marcinkus, Worship Associate Austen Petersen, Director of Religious Education Beth Anne Klaver, Wisdom Story Katrina Landon & Jessica O'Brien, From the Heart The YouTube version is here Thank you for listening. For more information about the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, or to join us on Sunday mornings, visit www.wuu.org. Permission to reprint, podcast, and/or stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE with license #A-735438. All rights reserved.
Come listen to a WUU service! David Fabian, MD, struggled with his male identity for much of his first 62 years. Finally, 20 years into his marriage to Leslie, Deborah emerged full-time, in 2011. During the 2-year transition, Leslie was compelled to write about the challenges of supporting her beloved, as she relinquished her male spouse. Her efforts resulted in the 2014 publication of her book, My Husband's a Woman Now: A Shared Journey of Transition and Love. In this service, the Fabians will share a bit of the transgender story, and tell how their marriage has endured, and their mutual love and support have deepened. Leslie will be autographing and selling her books following the service. Leslie & Deborah Fabian, Guest Worship Leaders Nan Hart, Worship Associate Austen Petersen, Director of Religious Education David Hamilton, Piano David Welch, Vocals The YouTube version is here Thank you for listening. For more information about the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, or to join us on Sunday mornings, visit www.wuu.org. Permission to reprint, podcast, and/or stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE with license #A-735438. All rights reserved.
Come listen to our WUU service! Let's celebrate WUU's 33rd birthday! This Charter Sunday, we'll hear from WUUs new and old about their hopes and dreams for the congregation, then and now. And, of course, we will add another bolt to the spiral sculpture in our sanctuary that represents the shared journey of this community. Rev. Laura Horton-Ludwig, Minister Austen Petersen, Director of Religious Education Joelle Griffin Russell, Piano Jane Ferguson and David Welch, Vocalists Winsome: Fred Gilbertson, David Wilcox, BethAnne Klaver The Youtube version is here: If you have not yet, please sign our Guest Book and let us know where you are watching from! Subscribe to the weekly newsletters or find out more about the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists at https://wuu.org/visit. Thank you! Permission to reprint, podcast, and/or stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE with license #A-735438. All rights reserved.
Come listen to a WUU service! As Unitarian Universalists, we affirm that all of our voices matter, and our questions are as valuable as our certainties. Today, you're invited to bring your questions about religion, spirituality, ethics, or anything else keeping you up at night. Rev. Laura will respond to as many as time allows, and all of us will have opportunities to share our own answers after the service. Rev. Laura Horton-Ludwig, Minister David Hopkinson, Worship Associate Austen Petersen, Director of Religious Education Dave Robbins, Assistant Director of Music, Piano WUU Women's Choir, Offertory Music Winsome: Jane Ferguson, John Trindle, Michael Schulman, Robert Weinberg & Niki Worrell, Musical Interlude The YouTube version is here Thank you for listening. For more information about the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, or to join us on Sunday mornings, visit www.wuu.org. Permission to reprint, podcast, and/or stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE with license #A-735438. All rights reserved.
Come listen to a WUU service! As Unitarian Universalists, we affirm that all of our voices matter, and our questions are as valuable as our certainties. Today, you're invited to bring your questions about religion, spirituality, ethics, or anything else keeping you up at night. Rev. Laura will respond to as many as time allows, and all of us will have opportunities to share our own answers after the service. Rev. Laura Horton-Ludwig, Minister Nan Hart, Worship Associate Austen Petersen, Director of Religious Education Dave Robbins, Assistant Director of Music, Piano The YouTube version is here Thank you for listening. For more information about the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, or to join us on Sunday mornings, visit www.wuu.org. Permission to reprint, podcast, and/or stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE with license #A-735438. All rights reserved.
Come listen to a WUU service! Last month, eight WUUs got online along with nearly 5000 other UUs to participate in the UUA General Assembly, the largest annual gathering of Unitarian Universalists. Today we'll share what we learned and what we're committing to going forward. Rev. Laura Horton-Ludwig, Minister Susan Marcinkus, Worship Associate Austen Petersen, Director of Religious Education Ellie Ransom, Reflection Music from the 2021 UUA General Assembly The YouTube version is here Thank you for listening. For more information about the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, or to join us on Sunday mornings, visit www.wuu.org. Permission to reprint, podcast, and/or stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE with license #A-735438. All rights reserved.
Come listen to a WUU service! This sermon strives to answer two simple questions. Do others really see us, as we see ourselves? And two, how do people muster the strength and fortitude to live into the best of oneself? Rev. Kaaren Anderson, Guest Worship Leader David Hopkinson, Worship Associate Austen Petersen, Director of Religious Education Dave Robbins, Assistant Director of Music, Piano Neva Tayler, Music Rev. Kaaren Anderson has been a UU minister for the past 26 years. She has served congregations in MA and NY, most recently at First Unitarian in Rochester, NY. She is a visual artist who draws with sharpie on paper, most often capturing the humor and quirk of the animal kingdom. In August, she starts as the new 2 yr. interim minister in Vero Beach, FL. The YouTube version is here Thank you for listening. For more information about the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, or to join us on Sunday mornings, visit www.wuu.org.
Come listen to a WUU service! We are thrilled to be joined again today by guests from the Williamsburg Buddhist Sangha. Sangha member and our Quaker Neighbor Friend Darrell Key will share the story of his journey from growing up in the deep South to his life in the United States military to his world today in Williamsburg. Darrell Key, Williamsburg Buddhist Sangha, Guest Worship Leader Mary McGovern, Williamsburg Buddhist Sangha, Guest Worship Leader Susan Childs, Williamsburg Buddhist Sangha, Guest Worship Leader Nicki Peet, Worship Associate Dave Robbins, Assistant Director of Music, Piano John Chowning, Music The YouTube version is here Thank you for listening. For more information about the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, or to join us on Sunday mornings, visit www.wuu.org.
Come listen to a WUU service! Playing games, telling jokes, having fun--the lighter side of being human, right? And maybe something more: today we'll explore the deeper meanings of play as resistance and deep spiritual connection. Rev. Laura Horton-Ludwig, Minister Susan Marcinkus, Worship Associate Dave Robbins, Assistant Director of Music, Piano Austen Petersen, Director of Religious Education The YouTube version is here Thank you for listening. For more information about the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, or to join us on Sunday mornings, visit www.wuu.org.
Come listen to a WUU service! Most Unitarian Universalists are surprised to learn that we are the religious descendants of the Puritans and that the foundation of our living tradition comes from the Puritans' interpretation of the Bible. Indeed, The Cambridge Platform of 1648 not only gave us freedom from kings and bishops but also placed us in mutual relationship with one another, both as individuals and as congregations. Rev. Laura Horton-Ludwig, Minister David Hopkinson, Worship Associate Dave Robbins, Assistant Director of Music, Piano Austen Petersen, Director of Religious Education The YouTube version is here Thank you for listening. For more information about the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, or to join us on Sunday mornings, visit www.wuu.org.
Come listen to a WUU service! With Covid 19 restrictions being lifted, we are faced with a post pandemic reality very different from the life we led before the March 20 shutdown. How will we negotiate that crossing? What will we leave behind? What will we create that's new and life affirming? Coming as we are from a year of isolation and drastic societal changes? Most Unitarian Universalists are surprised to learn that we are the religious descendants of the Puritans and that the foundation of our living tradition comes from the Puritans' interpretation of the Bible. Indeed, The Cambridge Platform of 1648 not only gave us freedom from kings and bishops but also placed us in mutual relationship with one another, both as individuals and as congregations. Rev. Andrew Clive Millard, Guest Worship Leader Dave Robbins, Assistant Director of Music, Piano Austen Petersen, Director of Religious Education The YouTube version is here. The Rev. Andrew Clive Millard has served the Mission of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of the Peninsula in Newport News since 2010. Born in England, he came to the United States to be a physicist and then found religion by way of environmentalism. Andrew lives in Gloucester with Allison and their apparently pre-teen daughter, Olivia. He looks forward to returning to WUU for his fourth pulpit swap with Rev. Laura. Thank you for listening. For more information about the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, or to join us on Sunday mornings, visit www.wuu.org.
Come listen to a WUU service! With Covid 19 restrictions being lifted, we are faced with a post pandemic reality very different from the life we led before the March 20 shutdown. How will we negotiate that crossing? What will we leave behind? What will we create that's new and life affirming? Coming as we are from a year of isolation and drastic societal changes? The life we enter will seem strange as we take baby steps into the open air. Learning to breathe in this new atmosphere; overcoming our fear of both disease and one another? How do we pass from one shore to the other with awareness and good intention? Nicki Peet, Guest Worship Leader Nan Hart, Worship Associate Austen Petersen, Director of Religious Education Dave Robbins, Assistant Director of Music, Piano John Chowning, Reading The YouTube version is here. Thank you for listening. For more information about the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, or to join us on Sunday mornings, visit www.wuu.org.
Come listen to a WUU service! UU principles call us to "a free and responsible search for truth and meaning." In this time of "fake news" and lying for the sake of power, how can we contribute to rebuilding a culture of truth? Rev. Laura Horton-Ludwig, Minister Austen Petersen, Director of Religious Education Dave Robbins, Assistant Director of Music, Piano The YouTube version is here. Thank you for listening. For more information about the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, or to join us on Sunday mornings, visit www.wuu.org.
Come listen to a WUU service! Come celebrate with our high school seniors at our annual "Bridging" service! Rev. Laura Horton-Ludwig, Minister David Hopkinson, Worship Associate Austen Petersen, Director of Religious Education Dave Robbins, Assistant Director of Music, Piano Emma's Revolution, "Swimming to the Other Side" The YouTube version is here. Thank you for listening. For more information about the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, or to join us on Sunday mornings, visit www.wuu.org.
Come listen to a WUU service! Each of us can tell the personal stories of our lives. But we're also held in the much larger stories of culture, religion, and the cosmos itself. On this 60th anniversary of the merger between the Unitarians and the Universalists, we'll celebrate the liberating stories of our historic faith...and tend to their shadow sides. Rev. Laura Horton-Ludwig, Minister Nicki Peet, Worship Associate Dave Robbins, Assistant Director of Music, Piano WUU Choir, directed by Dr. Jamie Bartlett, Director of Music The YouTube version is here. Thank you for listening. For more information about the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, or to join us on Sunday mornings, visit www.wuu.org.
Come listen to a WUU service! Please join us virtually in our annual May Day Gathering! We will be celebrating Spring, flowers and gardens. Please share photos and short videos of your gardens, family, outdoor movement, color, joy, flora! Come let us blossom together! Liz Wiley, Worship Associate Dave Robbins, Assistant Director of Music, Piano Hayda Jinmaku-Brown, Offertory Music The YouTube version is here. Thank you for listening. For more information about the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, or to join us on Sunday mornings, visit www.wuu.org.
Come listen to a WUU service! Social worker JoLillian Zwerdling writes, "From Starfish I have learned that if we keep our core intact, we can regenerate. We can fall apart, lose limbs, and re-grow them as long as we don’t let anyone threaten that central disc’s integrity." How can we keep our own center strong in this time when so much change and creativity is needed? Rev. Laura Horton-Ludwig, Minister David Hopkinson, Worship Associate Austen Petersen, Director of Religious Education Paulette Amory, Piano The YouTube version is here. Thank you for listening. For more information about the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, or to join us on Sunday mornings, visit www.wuu.org.
Come listen to a WUU service! It's human nature to create new things--crafts and tools, arts of all kinds...and, in the last 150 years, industrial technologies that, along with their many undeniable gifts, have also brought our planet to the brink of collapse. On this Earth Day Sunday, how can we shift our dreams of "more and better" toward being content with what is sustainable? Rev. Laura Horton-Ludwig, Minister Nan Hart, Worship Associate Austen Petersen, Director of Religious Education Dave Robbins, Assistant Director of Music, Piano The YouTube version is here. Thank you for listening. For more information about the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, or to join us on Sunday mornings, visit www.wuu.org.
Come listen to a WUU service! All around us we see signs of new life emerging from the stark landscape of winter. Flowers, birdsong, the drone of bees. The world is coming to life again. In the Northern hemisphere, spring happens to align (helpfully) with the Christian celebration of Easter - the essential and foundational event of the Christian community. Easter is really a story about new life - a story against despair and about the possibilities of rebirth and change. And it can also be read as a story of human friendship. Often when we try to say something meaningful about these deep experiences we find that they are very hard to put into words. A human life is not an idea or concept. We are more than the language that we use can adequately contain. But we can tell stories about being human, and listen to what those stories can tell us about our own lives. Stories have the capacity to hold and reveal what it means to be human without clean and simple answers. Join us this week as Steve DeLaney leads us in a meditation about resurrection, about new life, but through the lens of a story of friendship and forgiveness. Steve DeLaney has worked in ministry with young people for over 20 years - in outdoor education, jail ministry, urban service, parish ministry, and as a high school teacher and campus minister. He has an MFA in Creative Writing and an MA in Theology. His passions include literature and writing, hiking, and gardening. He lives with his wife, Allison, and their three kids (and their dog Peach!) in Williamsburg, VA. He blogs at somedelaney.wordpress.com. Steve DeLaney, Guest Worship Leader Ben Thacker-Gwaltney, Worship Associate Austen Petersen, Director of Religious Education Dave Robbins, Assistant Director of Music, Piano The YouTube version is here. Thank you for listening. For more information about the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, or to join us on Sunday mornings, visit www.wuu.org.
Come listen to a WUU service! It has been a long, hard year...but in this season of Easter and spring, hope is rising at last. Today we celebrate the new life awakening in us and beckoning us forward. Rev. Laura Horton-Ludwig, Minister Susan Marcinkus, Worship Associate WUU Choir, directed by Dr. Jamie Bartlett, Director of Music Austen Petersen, Director of Religious Education Kaya O’Brien-James, From the Heart Dave Robbins, Assistant Director of Music, Piano The YouTube version is here. Thank you for listening. For more information about the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, or to join us on Sunday mornings, visit www.wuu.org.
Come listen to a WUU service! What if to "side with love" meant making bold, faith-full choices? What if it were even a little bit scary? This worship service brings together worship leaders and musicians from across the country to offer hopeful, moving, challenging reminders about what we, as Unitarian Universalists, are called to do, and BE, in the world. Side with Love is an interfaith public advocacy campaign promoting respect for the inherent worth and dignity of every person. Side with Love confronts issues of exclusion, oppression, and violence based on identity. With the goal of creating beloved community, the campaign pursues social change through advocacy, public witness, and speaking out in solidarity with those whose lives are publicly demeaned. Our core issues of focus include, but are not limited to: LGBTQ equity, immigrant justice, racial justice and intersectional movement building. Everette R. H. Thompson, Side With Love Campaign Manager David B. Smith, Rick Fortner, & Matt Edwards Prelude Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray, Dr. Takiyah Nur Amin, Dr. Tuli Patel, Rev. Michael Crumpler, Julica Hermann de la Fuente, Laura Conkle, & Rev. Erika Hewitt, Worship Leaders Dr. Tuli Patel, Time for All Ages Choir of First Unitarian Society, Brooklyn The YouTube version is here. Thank you for listening. For more information about the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, or to join us on Sunday mornings, visit www.wuu.org.
Come listen to a WUU service! Today we celebrate the story of Rev. Olympia Brown, the first woman to be ordained a Universalist minister, and her most famous congregant: the one and only P. T. Barnum, creator of the Greatest Show on Earth--and staunch supporter of his Universalist congregation. And though we might not have tightrope walkers or flame-swallowers here at WUU, we'll still cheer for everything that makes congregations worthy of our support, love, and commitment. Rev. Laura Horton-Ludwig, Minister Bob Edwards,, Worship Associate Austen Petersen, Director of Religious Education Dave Robbins, Assistant Director of Music, Piano WUU Choir, directed by Dr. Jamie Bartlett, Director of Music The YouTube version is here. Thank you for listening. For more information about the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, or to join us on Sunday mornings, visit www.wuu.org.
Executive Producer Jonathan Newby as interviews Jodi Fisler of WUU about her efforts with UU the Vote, a Unitarian Universalist initiative to promote voting and expand voter rights. Learn more about WUU at wuu.org.
Come listen to a WUU service! Unitarian Universalists have long valued our spiritual freedom. But freedom has a shadow side: it's easy to walk away rather than stay and do the hard work of working it out in community. Today we'll explore what the ancient monastic virtue of stability might have to teach us today. Rev. Laura Horton-Ludwig, Minister Susan Marcinkus, Worship Associate Austen Petersen, Director of Religious Education Dave Robbins, Assistant Director of Music, Piano The YouTube version is here. Thank you for listening. For more information about the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, or to join us on Sunday mornings, visit www.wuu.org.
Come listen to a WUU service! Do I have a right to be comfortable in church? What about when my comfort means someone else's exclusion? Today we celebrate the power of covenant to help us move through discomfort toward deeper community and justice for all. Rev. Laura Horton-Ludwig, Minister David Hopkinson, Worship Associate Austen Petersen, Director of Religious Education Dave Robbins, Assistant Director of Music, Piano Jess Hench, From the Heart The YouTube version is here. Thank you for listening. For more information about the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, or to join us on Sunday mornings, visit www.wuu.org.
Come listen to a WUU service! Australian Indigenous activist, Lilla Watson, says, “If you have come here to help me, you are wasting your time, but if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.” Join our guest preachers, the Rev. Laura Randall and Heather Vickery of UUSC, as we explore how to create together the beloved community. Rev. Laura Randall, UUSC, Guest Worship Leader Heather Vickery, UUSC, Guest Worship Leader Dr. Ysaÿe Barnwell & the UUA General Assembly 2020 Virtual Choir The YouTube version is here. Thank you for listening. For more information about the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, or to join us on Sunday mornings, visit www.wuu.org.
Come listen to a WUU service! Esther, a Jewish woman who saved her community from annihilation. Maybe, as Esther's uncle tells her, we too are here "for such a time as this." Rev. Laura Horton-Ludwig, Minister Nan Hart, Worship Associate Austen Petersen, Director of Religious Education WUU Choir, directed by Dr. Jamie Bartlett, Director of Music Dave Robbins, Assistant Director of Music, Piano The YouTube version is here. Thank you for listening. For more information about the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, or to join us on Sunday mornings, visit www.wuu.org.
Come listen to a WUU service!Part 2 of a series on the meaning of beloved community. UUs often ask, do I really have to love everybody? Of course, we can only do our best. But our tradition teaches that everyone is loved by a Love bigger than we are--even the people we think deserve love the least.Rev. Laura Horton-Ludwig, MinisterNicki Peet,, Worship AssociateAusten Petersen, Director of Religious EducationDave Robbins, Assistant Director of Music, PianoThe YouTube version is here.Thank you for listening. For more information about the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, or to join us on Sunday mornings, visit www.wuu.org.
Come listen to a WUU service!Our favorite songs, whoever the artist or whatever the style, were created in a strange alchemy of study and inspiration, of strict practice and of letting go. Spiritual Practice is a similar combination of dedication, muscle memory, and perhaps a little divine inspiration. Join us for a musical exploration of learning to risk, building the muscle memory of courage, and the spiritual practice of relationship when things around us are changing fast.Rev. Laura Horton-Ludwig, MinisterSusan Marcinkus, Worship AssociateAusten Petersen, Director of Religious EducationDave Robbins, Assistant Director of Music, PianoHans von Baeyer, Fred & Linda Bergmann, Melanie Williams & Steven Sharp, Jonathan Newby, ReflectionsNicole Collins, Vocals, & Lark Lewis, Piano, Closing HymnThe YouTube version is here.Thank you for listening. For more information about the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, or to join us on Sunday mornings, visit www.wuu.org.
Come listen to a WUU service!Our favorite songs, whoever the artist or whatever the style, were created in a strange alchemy of study and inspiration, of strict practice and of letting go. Spiritual Practice is a similar combination of dedication, muscle memory, and perhaps a little divine inspiration. Join us for a musical exploration of learning to risk, building the muscle memory of courage, and the spiritual practice of relationship when things around us are changing fast.Matt Meyer, Guest Worship LeaderBen Thacker-Gwaltney, Worship AssociateThe YouTube version is here.Thank you for listening. For more information about the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, or to join us on Sunday mornings, visit www.wuu.org.You can follow Matt, get news on his book, and resources inspiration for Music and Worship here.Matt is also offering a Rhythm for Choir workshop. If you’re interested in this series of rhythm workshops, check out the info here.To build a more musical UU Movement, check out the Songleaders Convergence/And Matt’s home congregation, Sanctuary Boston, offers contemporary worship on Wednesday evenings.
Come listen to a WUU service!The creation stories we grow up with have a powerful impact on how we see the world. Today, inspired by theologian Walter Wink's groundbreaking work on violence in ancient Indo-European creation stories, we'll examine what we learned, and imagine some new stories.Rev. Laura Horton-Ludwig, MinisterDavid Hopkinson, Worship AssociateAusten Petersen, Director of Religious EducationWUU Choir, Directed by Dr. Jamie Bartlett, Director of MusicDave Robbins, Assistant Director of Music, PianoJames Underberg, Centering SongThe YouTube version is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21ML5QjggIk>Thank you for listening. For more information about the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, or to join us on Sunday mornings, visit www.wuu.org.
Come listen to a WUU service!In times even more fraught than ours, Dr. King believed and preached that "the arc of the moral universe bends toward justice." Today we seek inspiration and renewed strength from his example.Rev. Laura Horton-Ludwig, MinisterNan Hart, Worship AssociateAusten Petersen, Director of Religious EducationDave Robbins, Assistant Director of Music, PianoThe YouTube version is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UBw0tKxnewThank you for listening. For more information about the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, or to join us on Sunday mornings, visit www.wuu.org.
Come listen to a WUU service!Many cultures teach that dreams are gifts from Spirit, bearers of wisdom, if only we can unravel the meanings of their strange events and symbols. Today we'll learn practical ways to invite our own dreams to reveal their wisdom and healing power for ourselves and our society.Rev. Laura Horton-Ludwig, MinisterNicki Peet, Worship AssociateAusten Petersen, Director of Religious EducationDave Robbins, Assistant Director of Music, PianoThe YouTube version is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cexzRHQLyFg Thank you for listening. For more information about the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, or to join us on Sunday mornings, visit www.wuu.org.
Come listen to a WUU service!Where, oh where are Shangri-la, Brigadoon, and the Fountain of Youth? In this service we will examine these idealistic Utopias and discover how we can use them to become re-enchanted with reality.Addie Hirschten, Guest Worship LeaderDave Robbins, Assistant Director of Music, PianoThe YouTube version is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFfvL5TkhvA>Thank you for listening. For more information about the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, or to join us on Sunday mornings, visit www.wuu.org.
Come listen to a WUU service!Anthropologist Victor Turner spent a great deal of time researching "primitive" communities. He was especially drawn to their life of ritual practice and to fostering "communitas," a continuing practice loving attention for all. Today we will explore this way of living grounded in hope and peacefulness.Rev. Dr. David Tetrault, Guest Worship LeaderDavid Hopkinson, Worship AssociateMartha Purvis, OrganDave Robbins, Assistant Director of Music, PianoThe YouTube version is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GKtxM8nYpo>Thank you for listening. For more information about the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, or to join us on Sunday mornings, visit www.wuu.org.
Come listen to a WUU service!All are welcome for this contemplative service of music and readings celebrating the Christmas story.Rev. Laura Horton-Ludwig, MinisterSusan Marcinkus, Worship AssociateKatrina Landon, Luca BenYishay-Sapalio, ReadersJane Ferguson, Vicki Hall, Renee Kingan & Christine Llewellyn, RecordersDave Robbins, Assistant Director of Music, PianoWUU Choir, directed by Dr. Jamie Bartlett, Director of MusicSarah Kate Walston, SopranoThe YouTube version is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGmqY9YfR6I>Thank you for listening. For more information about the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, or to join us on Sunday mornings, visit www.wuu.org.
Come listen to a WUU service!Today we gather to celebrate the Winter Solstice and honor the balance of light and dark as we approach the shortest day of the year.Rev. Laura Horton-Ludwig, MinisterLiz Wiley, Worship AssociateAusten Petersen, Director of Religious EducationDave Robbins, PianoHelen Hansen, Share the PlateMerry Guernsey & Angela Surber, New Member Ceremony“For the Beauty of the Earth,” music by Lia Davis; vocals by Brian Stone, Issa Forest, & Sarah Deveau-Running, accompanied by Lia Davis & Eric Moon"The Snow," Op. 26, No. 1, by Edward Elgar; performed by New England Conservatory Women's Chorus, Dave Robbins, accompanist (2004)“Serenity,” by Charles Ives; performed by New England Conservatory Women's Chorus, Dave Robbins, accompanist (2004)The YouTube version is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQNe_6Aq_Dc>Thank you for listening. For more information about the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, or to join us on Sunday mornings, visit www.wuu.org.
Come listen to a WUU service!The Jewish scriptures tell the story of the prophet Elijah, who fled violence and found shelter far from home. Today, we invite his story to inspire us as we work to create safe shelter for others.Rev. Laura Horton-Ludwig, MinisterNicki Peet, Worship AssociateAusten Petersen, Director of Religious EducationDave Robbins, Assistant Director of Music, PianoWUU Choir, directed by Dr. Jamie Bartlett, Director of MusicRev. Joanna Lubkin, Lighting the Chanukah CandlesThe YouTube version is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdtlpaSMSq0>Thank you for listening. For more information about the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, or to join us on Sunday mornings, visit www.wuu.org.
Come listen to a WUU service!What are we doing when we're sitting still? If you struggle with boredom or restlessness during periods of silence, or even if you'd describe yourself as a terrible meditator, you're not alone and you are welcome here! Today, we'll offer practical tips for how to embrace silence and stillness, and reflections on what you might have to gain.Rev. Laura Horton-Ludwig, MinisterNan Hart, Worship AssociateAusten Petersen, Director of Religious EducationDave Robbins, Assistant Director of Music, PianoJohn Chowning, ReflectionKienna Williams, Vocals, Adam Podd, Piano - “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”The YouTube version is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQZb606IjEs>Thank you for listening. For more information about the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, or to join us on Sunday mornings, visit www.wuu.org.
Come listen to a WUU service!The basis of this sermon will come from the 250th Odu of the sacred Ifa corpus. In Ofun Otura there is a fated meeting of Arira and Osoro, two different individuals looking for the same thing. Will they put aside their differences and take advantage of the window of opportunity to create a new beginning?Omiyẹmi (Artisia) Green, Guest Worship LeaderPaulette Amory, PianoScott Varney, Wisdom StoryThe YouTube version is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqxpGlC5nC8>Thank you for listening. For more information about the Williamsburg Unitarian Universalists, or to join us on Sunday mornings, visit www.wuu.org.
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